Cellular telecommunication networks are based on the ability to provide continuous radio coverage throughout large geographical areas. This is achieved by the deployment of Radio Base Stations (RBS), each transmitting radio signals and providing radio coverage to a specific area. In order to achieve a continuous coverage, Radio Base stations (also referred to as cells) often overlap with each other so that a mobile station moving from the coverage area of one base station to the coverage area of another base station be continuously provided with radio communication. Further, in order to address high loads, for example during peak hours or in high density areas, cellular telecommunication networks often provide several base stations at the same location emitting at different frequencies. The coverage area of one of the superposed base stations is often completely overlapped by the coverage area of the other base stations at the same location. In many situations, such as low load during non-busy hours, completely overlapped base stations may be redundant since they do not participate in the radio coverage of the cellular telecommunication network although they consume energy. However, switching off unnecessary base stations is a difficult challenge. Indeed, current systems face difficulties in detecting which base station can be switched off while minimizing the effect on the radio coverage of the cellular telecommunication network. Furthermore, switching off superposed base stations at a location can cause service failure since if a mobile station is only be able to communicate with one frequency provided by one of the superposed base stations, switching off this base station would prevent communication with said mobile station even if the mobile station is located in the coverage area of the other base stations at said location.
Nowadays, network operators have at their disposal, a number of methods to analyze radio coverage for the purpose of optimization and maintenance of the network, examples of such a method being:                i. Employing radio propagation models, which are simulated mathematical calculations of radio coverage provided by cells of the network. The method of radio propagation does not take into account the actual radio coverage conditions that exist in the Service Area of each cell and could be very inaccurate, costly, and quickly become out-dated due to changes in the network.        ii. Collection and analysis of radio measurements and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) provided by Mobile Stations (MS) to the Radio Base Station (RBS) or the Radio Network Controller (RNC) during a communication session. Such a method has many drawbacks, such as high cost of systems, complicated deployment, overloading the RNC, and possibly providing limited data.        iii. Drive Test, typically done by a RF/cellular engineer driving a vehicle around a designated area while making one or more traffic sessions (such as voice calls) using his cellular equipment. During the drive test, the RF engineer monitors traffic and radio performance by noting radio link drops, for example, and/or collecting actual downlink data such as signal strength directly from a mobile telephone. Such a method bears high cost and does not represent the radio condition experienced by all MS in the area in which the Drive Test was conducted, mainly because the Drive Test is limited only to public areas.        
Each of the above methods can provide only a partial solution to the need of operators to receive accurate and indicative analysis of radio coverage conditions provided by the network to their subscribers, and to do so in a cost effective manner. In particular, the aforementioned methods do not provide to the network providers with the ability to efficiently detect overlapped base stations.